Wordless Weekend with Mini Captions: Church Libraries

Love the darker wood and how the top shelves have trinkets on them

Love that its not perfect and for the ordinary-ness of the trash can..looks very lived in..I would be at home here..

This one is nice and cheery and very child friendly..

"I lead a small life, valuable, but small"

"I lead a small life, valuable, but small" ~ Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail

So often I feel driven to do more. To have a broader range of influence. Pulled in all different directions. And then, there I go again. Running away, retreating, hiding. Dipping my feet in the extrovert's personality only to duck and cover in my cave of a home.

And the people I leave hanging because I have forced myself to do something that, shortly, I will forsake and run from. I am not sure why I do this. Because when I start out, although it is a challenge to try new things, I am usually glad that I've have reached out beyond my comfort zone. But there comes a point where I have had enough and I absolutely turn my back on  it. I have done this with jobs, with people, with projects. 

My intention today was this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing everyday that scares you." I guess what I am becoming more aware of is the fact that it is consistent repetition of something that I am scared of, say an unending job or project or need, that unnerves me. It seems that I do better with tackling the extrovert needs on a monthly or seasonal basis. Putting on the calendar: host a Christmas sing-a-long or invite these ladies over for tea or have a card game night with this couple.

But, above all, I need to realize that although my life is small and spent mostly in p.j. pants in the comfiness of my home, I have my big, sweet family that I am constantly giving myself for, you dear friends that I share my heart with as well as my monthly bouts in hosting social gatherings.

Linked at The Better Mom, Time Warp Wife, Growing Home, True Aim Education, We Are That Family, Women Living Well, lowercase letters, Passionate and Creative Homemaking, Consider the Lilies, Raising Homemakers

image from here

Responses to The Idle Parent, Chapters 5,6 ~ hospitality & education

The two things that jumped out at me from these chapters were:

1). Live communally, let them have their friends as we have ours. The Bible says in Acts 2:

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Awww..the elusiveness of hospitality..torn is one word that describes this for me, introvert is the other. 
  
Torn, because when I have company, so many times, I feel as if my other responsibilities are put on hold or at least, not given the priority they should have. It is a fragile balance..but I feel as if I am getting the hang of it. My sister is staying with us for a couple of days, and I have been able to flit around between, her, hubby, home & kitties and make sure everyone is feeling good & having fun!!! Another thing I am thrilled silly over is my new sitting area out in our music room. We have had our love seat and lazy boy chair right out in the middle in this room, and it just occurred to me (not sure why it took so long) to move the sitting area to a corner in the room, that backs up to a brick wall..I have drooled over that wall since I moved in and now it is to become the backdrop for a sitting area that will be secluded in its own sweet corner.     

My introvert-ism is another delicate aspect to weigh. I have the tendency to help people out, but if I feel pressured, I seriously run away and hide. I have always been like this and am not sure how to combat it, except to set boundaries in my mind. Any advise on this would be great cause I feel like I alienate people by the way I handle this.

2) I love that Tom says that education is for turning out children with wits & guts

When I looked up the word "wits" in the dictionary, I loved these two definitions:

the keen perception and cleverly apt expression of those connections between ideas that awaken amusement and pleasure

powers of intelligent observation, keen perception, ingenious contrivance, or the like; mental acuity, composure, and resourcefulness

and guts ~ that boldness, bravery & at times, the ability to bare oneself in honesty. 

Linked at The Wellspring & Good Morning Girls

image from here & here 

Wordless Weekend ~ Reckless Adoration

A Cool Friend of my Hubby's ~ convo

My husband, last night over dinner, went on a memory trip with me. He told me about a man that he had known when he was in his 20s. This man, was, at the time in his 50s. He went to church with my husband. And, at the time, my husband thought some of his "ways" were odd. But today, in much more maturity, my husband thinks this man was brilliant!

Things this man did:

1) He always had pockets full of candy. He felt that children should get to be young and enjoy the sweetness of life..and be allowed to have candy!!!

2) He always wore comfy shoes & clothes. His shoes looked like slippers, but they were made of leather. His pants were roomy and relaxed. 

3) He always asked that you call ahead if you want to come visit, and when company would show up, he would take the time to make sure he was fresh and clean, donning jeans and a clean shirt.

4) At church work days, he wore overalls and a t-shirt that had a collar.

5) He was always seen carrying a cardigan, which usually went over his daughter's shoulders.

6) They had one daughter and then couldn't have anymore kids. His wife had reproductive parts removed. But years later, she conceived twice and they had children in their older years.

7) He acted like a grandfather, never being in any kind of hurry. 

8) When he led music at church, every song what straight Scripture, like "This is the Day the Lord has Made." He had about 15 that he could pull out of his head. Some were short and some were like chapters long.

What a refreshing man and family!!!

Jesus - the Maker & the Husband

My husband and I are reading through the books of John & Acts this month. I have a bad habit of going to books that talk about Jesus and the Bible instead of to the Bible itself. The Bible is the living, breathing and powerful Word of God and I sense my resistance to be a work of self-pride & enemy distraction. 

I was mulling over John 1 and it just made me so sad for our Lord that although everything that exists is made through Him, yet when He came, and even in all the revelation we have of Him now, so many do not realize who He is. He made us, yet we don't recognize Him. 

So many times, my relationship with Him seems strained. I always attribute it to false teaching that I am still trying to remove from my mind and my OCD personality that tries to be perfectionistic in my following of Jesus. Something really helped me that some friends of ours shared with me. It has been a breakthrough for me. They told me to think of my relationship with Jesus to be like a marriage. This struck a chord with me. Thankful, oh so thankful, for a precious relationship with my husband. This is turn has helped me understand how my Lord sees me and how I should see Him. It is a complete baring of myself and a confidant trust that He loves me, understand & is there to help..

Linked at The Better Mom, Time Warp Wife, Growing Home, True Aim Education, We Are That Family, Women Living Well, lowercase letters, Passionate and Creative Homemaking, The Wellspring & Good Morning Girls

Responses to The Idle Parent, Chapters 3 & 4

 

Mom is to hold on to her own pleasures and delights, taking care of herself, sharing with her kids from her overflow of loving life.

Nature is overflowing with toys for everyone. We must learn, like the animals to survive in every climate. Too hot, jump in the pool or sprinkler. Too cold, build a bonfire. Provide good soil so the kids can grow plants, flowers, edibles. Learn about nature as we sing about nature. Babies don't analyze nature, they are intertwined with it. Learn, at all ages to be this way!!!

images from http: here & here